Fence



a citizen of the United States, residing at Aml and to loosen the fence-wires.

. in the accompanying drawings, and pointed -sition and to hold them against accidental illustrating the manner of connecting the anchor 4, the fence-wires inclining downward therein are tubes or sleeves 2a, the interiors ATENT EDMOND M. SHAEFFER, 0F AMBER-LY, VIRGINIA.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed February 14,1895.

.To a/ZZ whom 72mg concern:

Be it known that I, EDMoND M. SHAEFFER,

berly, in the county of Rockingham and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Fence, of which the following is aspecilication.

The invention relates to improvements in fences.

Heretofore wire fences have been constructed with outwardly-inclined fenceiposts, and the terminalsA of the horizontal fence wires have been extended downward from such inclined posts and have converged toward and have been secured to a common anchor; but it has been found by experience that the inclined end posts lhave a tendency to sink into the ground andV to move inward rlhe object of the present invention is to obviate the above objections and to firmly secure such inclined end posts in proper pomovement.

The invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated ont in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a portion of a fence constructed in. accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a* detail perspective view of a wire-stretcher constructed in accordance with this invention'. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view sections of a fence-wire. Fig. 4 isa detail sectional view of one of the end posts.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 l designate outwardly-inclined end posts provided with perforations 2 for the reception of horizontal fence-wires 3, and the latter have their terminals secured to a common and converging from the end post to the anchor 4, which is provided with an eye for the reception of loops of the wires. The perforations 2 of the horizontal end post for the fencewires are disposed horizontally, and arranged Patent No. 543,321, dated July 23, 1895.

Serial No. 538,402. (No model.)

to` receive snugly the fence-wires. These sleeves or tubes 2a are constructed of metal and form a firm bearing for the fence-wires, and prevent thelatter from splitting or cntting into the .end posts in straining the fencewires to the desired tension or when the fence itself is subjected to a severe lateral strain.

In order to prevent the inclined end post l from sinking into the ground'and from slipping or moving inward on the fence-wires and loosening them, an anchor or base 5 is located at the lower end of the post l and is connected with the same, and its lower face has sufficient area to prevent any liability of its sinking into the ground under the strain exerted on the end post by the fence-wires. The post l is connected with the eye 6 of the anchor 4 by iiexible converging braces for cables 7'- and 8, composed of twisted wires'and provided at their ends with loops 9 and l0. The loops 9 are linked into the eye 6, and the loops 10 are arranged in perforations of the post, whereby the latter is securely heldagainst any movement away from the anchor.

Each brace or cable is provided at an inter- Y i mediate point with an eye or untwisted por tion ll, adapted for the reception of a suitable tool to enable the brace or cable to be twisted to shorten it andfto increase the ontward strain on the post. By this construction theend post may be readily adjusted and the braces or cables may be varied in length to hold the end post in proper position and prevent any liability of the same slipping under the strain of the wires.

The fence-wires are supported at intervals by pickets, whichmay be veither continuous and. extend from the top to the bottom of the fence, or short pickets or stays may be employed, and the fence-wires are stapled or otherwise secured to intermediate posts 12.

The fence-wires are composed of sections and are stretched at an intermediate point along the fence. One of the sections is provided with an eye 13, which is formed by bending the wire back on itself and twisting the terminal around the wire at the inner end of the eye or loop, and the other section is passed through the loop and doubled at 14,

and is iirmly secured and held against accior bores of which are of asuffrcient diameter dental slipping by a ring or eye 15, slidingly arranged on the fence-wire and embracing or encircling the doubled portion 14. By providing the fence-wires with a permanent loop and an open loop or doubled portion and employing a slip-ring the sections of the wires may be readily connected and disconnected.

The wires are stretched by a mid-wire takeup, comprising a frame or block 16, having a solid shank and provided with parallel sides, and a shaft or windlass 17, journaled in inclined bearing-slots 18 and secured against accidental retrograde rotation by a pawl 19, pivotally mounted on the frame 16, and ratchet-teeth 20, preferably formed integral with the shaft. The shank of the frame 16 is provided with a longitudinally-disposed lug 2l, having an under-cut front end and side faces and adapted to engage the permanent loop 13 of a fence-wire. The shaft has one end squared and is provided with a perforaticn to receive the other section of the fence-Wire, which is connected with the permanent loop or eye after stretching, and after the sections of a fence-wire have been stretched to the desired tension they are held by means of any suitable clamp until the wire-stretcher has been removed and the ends of the sections connected.

It will be seen that the fence is simple, strong, and durable, that itis adapted to be readily erected, and that the wires may be readily drawn to the desired tension.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor-details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

'What claim is- The combinationl with an outwardly inclined fence post provided with perforations, horizontal fence wires passing through the perforations and converging downward beyond the lend post, a common anchor receiving and holding the terminals of the wires, and a base arranged beneath and supporting the fence post and adapted to hold the same against downward movement, of the diverging braces extending from the anchor to the top and bottom ot the postA and permanently secured at their outer ends to the anchor, and at their inner ends to the post and holding the latter in its inclined position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

E. M. SHAEFFER. W'itnesses:

J. H. SIGGERs, HAROLD H. bIMMs.Y 

